Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the grand opening of the new Taste NY Bistro at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Building on the growing success of the Taste NY program, this café-style location offers visitors fresh, locally-sourced food and drinks, including homemade and homegrown produce and baked goods as well as New York wines, beers, and ciders. The Bistro will enhance the overall hospitality experience for more than two million guests who visit the Javits Center each year and complements the ongoing efforts to transform the convention center into a dynamic multi-use facility.

"Taste NY has played a central role in boosting our state's agriculture industry by helping promote the world-class products produced by hundreds of great New York businesses," said Governor Cuomo. "This new Bistro is another exciting opportunity to showcase the very best New York has to offer and help put their goods in the hands of the millions of visitors from every part of the globe that the Javits Center attracts each year."

This new Bistro expands the Taste NY presence at the Javits Center and improves customer experience by offering a wider selection of made-to-order foods in place of the former Taste NY store, which featured mostly pre-packed goods. The menu includes soups, salads, and sandwiches made using fresh ingredients from nearly every region of the state. Snack options are also available, such as Tate's Cookies, North Fork Chips, and Viki's Granola. In addition, customers have the opportunity to enjoy locally-made craft beers, wines, and ciders, including Ithaca Flower Power IPA, Weimer Vineyards Pinot Noir, Bridge Lane White Merlot, and many more. The Taste NY Bistro menu can be found here.

The Taste NY Bistro also complements the upcoming expansion of the Javits Center, which was announced by Governor Cuomo in January. The expansion project will create more exhibition and meeting room space, the largest ballroom in the Northeast and an on-site truck marshaling facility that will reduce traffic congestion. The expanded convention center is expected to generate 6,000 new permanent jobs and nearly $400 million in additional annual economic activity. Construction on the early work needed to prepare for the expansion project will begin later this year.

State Senator Brad Hoylman said, "The opening of Taste NY at the Javits Center is an opportunity to leverage the enormous buying power of the thousands of people from across the world who visit the Javits Center each year and will showcase New York's vast array of food and wine products. I thank Agriculture Commissioner Ball, the Cuomo Administration and Javits CEO Alan Steel for this important business initiative that will help introduce tourists and New York City residents alike to our homegrown products."

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer said, "The Governor's Taste NY initiative touches on an issue that’s so important to me: strengthening the ties between our state’s economic heart and its breadbasket. Whenever state or city agencies can create new opportunities to get New York State products to New York City consumers, it’s a win-win for us all."

New York City Council Member Corey Johnson said, "This new feature will be a huge asset to our nation’s greatest convention center and to our State’s outstanding food and beverage industry. Governor Cuomo has displayed true leadership with his plan to revitalize the Javits Center. Through Taste NY, he’s also made unprecedented investments to our local food and beverage industries. The Taste NY Bistro is a marriage of both of these important initiatives, and I’m proud to welcome it to my district."

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s strong commitment to promoting our agribusinesses and argi-tourism, the Taste NY program has experienced tremendous growth in the past three years. With every new location, this program is helping to raise the profile of thousands of hard-working New Yorkers who make some of the best food and beverages in the world. It allows them to expand their customer base, build their sales, and ultimately, create jobs and strengthen the economy."

New York Convention Center Operating Corporation President and CEO Alan Steel said, "The Javits Center hosts thousands of businesses from around the world, and we are thrilled to partner with Taste NY and offer the finest food and beverages New York has to offer. For the past 30 years, our mission has been to spur economic activity and job creation across the Empire State, and thanks to Governor Cuomo's vision, we can expand that mission by supporting New Yorkers who are leading our food and beverage industries."

Centerplate President and CEO Chris Verros said, "This new bistro adds to the overall guest experience of the Javits Center and is a celebration of the vibrant and growing New York State food culture. As we serve guests of the bistro, we will work tirelessly to connect residents and tourists alike with the top quality products and flavors of the Empire State."

Benti's Fresh Bread Owner Anthony Benti said, "Benti's Fresh Bread is honored to work with Taste NY and their exciting new Bistro at the Jacob Javits Center. We look forward to providing millions of visitors a year with some of the finest baked goods New York has to offer."

New York State Brewers Association Executive Director Paul Leone said, "With competition, variety, and a tremendous amount of choices available for both food and beverage, the Taste NY program has been an incredible way to highlight New York State to consumers locally and throughout the world. We once again thank Governor Cuomo for his forward thinking and support with programs like this."

The Javits Center hosts more than two million guests annually and more than 170 events each year, including the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show, which features a popular Taste NY Pavilion. The Summer Fancy Food Show is one of more than three dozen events that Taste NY participates in throughout the year. There are now also 58 Taste NY locations throughout the state with the addition of the new Lock E-13 Living History Rest Area in the Mohawk Valley, Taste NY café in the newly renovated West Bathhouse at Jones Beach, and Taste NY Bar at the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach, which were all added this year. Also new this year, Taste NY locations can be found at several state parks and at the Top of the Falls Restaurant in Niagara Falls, and at five Minor League Baseball stadiums in New York.

Last year, Taste NY helped participating producers triple their gross sales from approximately $1.5 million in 2014 to more than $4.5 million in 2015. This year, participants are well on their way to doubling their gross sales to $9 million, a goal set by Governor Cuomo in his State of the State address.

About Taste NY Taste NY is an initiative launched by Governor Cuomo in 2013 to promote New York's food and beverage industries. It is overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Markets and has created opportunities for local producers to showcase their goods at nearly five dozen locations throughout the state and at more than three dozen large public events, such as the Great New York State Fair. The program has also opened locations, such as stores, cafés, and bars, at Thruway rest stops along the state’s highways, at state parks, and at other major tourist destinations and sports and entertainment venues, enabling customers to buy New York State’s homegrown and homemade products. Approximately 1,100 local companies have participated in these opportunities, further linking their products and the state’s growing food and beverage market to consumers from across the globe. For more information about Taste NY, please visit www.taste.ny.gov. Connect with Taste NY through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

About Javits Center Known as the "Marketplace for the World," the Javits Center was originally designed by I.M. Pei & Partners and opened in 1986. The iconic facility has since become New York’s primary venue for large conventions, trade shows and special events and serves as home to many of the world’s top 250 trade shows, hosting millions of visitors a year. Located on 11th Avenue between West 34th and West 40th streets in Manhattan, the Javits Center generates up to $1.8 billion in economic activity and supports more than 17,000 jobs a year. The New York icon has 840,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space, 102 meeting rooms and four banquet halls, as well as a range of technology services, including state-of-the-art WiFi capabilities. For more information, visit www.javitscenter.com

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